Improved process of-treatiig petroleum to remote the more volatile portions



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ROBE T e. LOFTUS, OF CHELSEA, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF AND ALONZO FARRAR AND COMPANY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

Letters Patent No. 81,654, dated September 1, 1868.

IMPRDVED PROGESS OFTREATING PETROLEUM TO REMOVE THE MORE VOLATILE PORTIONS.

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TO ALL PERSONS TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS MAY COME:

Be it known that I, ROBERT G. LOFTUS, of Chelsea, of thecounty of Suffolk, and State ofliiassachusetts,

have invented or discovered a. new and useful Method or Processroi Treating Distilled Petroleum for the purpose of depriving it of its inflammable gas, whereby it is rendered dangerous or explosive; and I do hereby declare the same who described is follows:

By law, petroleum, as made for sale in the market, must have a. test" of at least 110-Fahrenheit, that is to say, it must not be capable of igniting at a less temperature. What renders it dangerous orexplosive is a very light liquid contained in it, which, at a low temperature, is easily changed into a gas readily inflammable. The purpose of my invention is the separation of this dangerous element from the rest of the petroleum, and this I accomplish by minutely dividing the petroleum into small streams, and allowing sueh'to fall through the atiuosphere, so as to cause the latter to act on the easily-vaporizable portions of the liquid, and. dissipate the same.

The means I have adopted-for carrying out my invention has been a tank or reservoir having a. foraminous bottom, such tank being arranged some fifteen feet, more or less, above another tank, to receive the improved,

petroleum. Into the'upper'tank, by means of a pumpror other suitable device, I discharge the petroleum to be treated; It will flow through the foraminious bot tim of the tank and fall into therreservoir below. There I should be a. free circulation of air between and abouttho streams of falling liquid.

If necessary, the space between the two tanks may be encased, and air may be driven into and through it by a blower, and be discharged with the gas at or near the upper tank.

What I claim as my invention, is

The separation of the petroleum into fine streams, and causing the same to pass through the atmosphere,-so as to enable the latter to vaporize and dissipate the inflammable elements thereof.

' R. G. LOFTUS.

Witnesses:

-R. H. EDDY,

F. P. HALE, Jr. 

